||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES |||
Those of you who follow the migration of the Grey Whales from Magdalena Bay in Baja, where they give birth and mate in the warm waters in the winter to the cool Arctic waters in the spring, where they fatten up after their long commute, know their habits and can see them along the west coast of North America. But now they are taking a detour in the Salish Sea on their way north to take advantage of a new (to them, buffet. A friend sent me the Link describing this migration detour. You can see it here:
A couple of decades ago, this same friend and I traveled to Baja to see the Greys at the turn of the year. It was an amazing trip, For reasons known only to themselves, the Grey Whales are attracted to the small boats, pangas, and their outboard motors, and will not only come close to tourists afloat, but will bring their new babies, which they guide into position between themselves and boats to allow tourists like me to touch the babies. Mating is a lot more brutal and involves a number of males, vertical in the water, surrounding a single female. Not very romantic or gentle. Then, when the mothers and babies, when they have grown sufficiently, the last to leave Baja, make the long trek in spring to feed in the northern waters. It’s a perilous trip with Orcas lying in wait for baby Greys, and this time of year, you can take a tourist boat out of Seattle to see the migration.
What has changed is the side trip shown in the video hosted by Joe Gaydos. You might recognize him from his work with the SeaDoc Society, known for it’s research of marine and shore life. Gaydos, a veterinarian and researcher, is involved in a wide variety of work. Years ago, I caught a presentation in Port Townsend about River Otters, who share my and other Orcas Island neighborhoods. Probably yours too, if you live anywhere near the water, sound or pond. You might recognize Gaydos from his work or he might be your neighbor.
https://www.ouroceanandyou.com/joe-gaydos
SeaDoc Society
https://www.seadocsociety.org/resource-links
Thanks for sharing that great Sea Doc video, Jackie (and to Bob Friel for producing it). Dr. Joe Gaydos is not only doing important research on our Salish Sea neighbors, but is as entertaining as you are.